


Scratch and Find What You Have

by fanwit



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:20:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24615172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanwit/pseuds/fanwit
Summary: Donna and the Doctor visit a planet that is known for having soulmates. They find out that visitors can get soulmarks the hard way.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Donna Noble
Comments: 8
Kudos: 112





	Scratch and Find What You Have

Donna rubs at her arm again for what must be the hundredth time. It's so itchy and she doesn't know why. "Doctor!"

The Doctor pauses up ahead but continues looking down at his radar detector.

"You better not have landed us into poison ivy!"

"No, this planet doesn't have poison ivy," the Doctor says absentmindedly and begins walking again. Donna speeds up to catch up with him.

" _Doctor_."

The Doctor sighs and looks sideways at Donna. "No, Donna, I did not land us in anything that should leave adverse effects on humans or Time Lords. Better?"

Donna huffs. The Doctor stops and turns to face Donna fully. "Then why am I itching so much?"

The Doctor frowns and holds out his hands for Donna to show her arm. She doesn't move. "Does it have anything to do with Solarells?"

"Socells," the Doctor corrects automatically and steps closer. His eyes are fixed on where Donna is rubbing at. Not for the first time, Donna wonders if he really doesn't have x-ray vision. "No, Socells shouldn't have anything to do with itchiness..."

"You're not itchy at all?"

"Time Lords are above such-"

"Oh, no, Time Boy, you're not using that excuse." Donna crosses her arms. "You've been too engrossed in that radar thing to notice anything, haven't you?"

The Doctor squirms. Then rubs at his chest. "Well, actually maybe..." His eyes widen. "Oh! Oh, of course! I should've realized sooner!"

"That you were itchy?"

"No! I know why!" The Doctor claps his hands. "Socells are known for soulmates!"

_Soulmates_? That didn't sound like something aliens would have, Donna's definitely heard that term back on Earth. But how would itchiness connect to that? Oh god, was she growing out an other half?

"Actually, it's interesting, because no other planet has one and there have never been any confirmed soulmate coming from a different planet. Solcells have this ritual once they reach age-"

"Get to the point! What does itching have to do with this?"

The Doctor beams at Donna, not remotely offended at being interrupted. "Soulmarks."

"Soulmarks?"

"It's a mark that grows on you, it has your soulmate's name, according to Solcells." The Doctor bounces excitedly. "And you've got one!"

"And so do you."

"Probably nothing to do with this," the Doctor says dismissively. "Don't see why I would have one."

Donna has to pause at this. With everything she had heard from Martha, she would've thought Rose would be it. But if the Doctor didn't think that... why would he react the way he had?

"I wonder if it's in Solcellian?" The Doctor reaches out but instantly pulls back. "Er, if you'd like to show it of course."

Donna looks down at her arm consideringly. "So no off-planeters been here before, right?"

"Nope!"

"And all soulmates are on this planet."

"Yes." The Doctor is practically vibrating with excitement.

"It's just romantic?" Donna asks. The Doctor shakes his head.

"Not necessarily... but tradition is if it's itching, it's romantic. Soulmarks of the platonic sort can just appear without notice."

Donna looks at her other arm. Would there be another name there? And slowly she pulls up that one instead. And there is the name, _Wilf_.

The Doctor lets out a shout. "It's in English! So it must be the person's native language!" He bounces giddily. "Will you do the other one?"

Donna hesitates. Supposing she pulled it up and saw Lee? God, it'd be so painful. It had been so tough getting back up from that. But if it was Lee... then she wouldn't be able to go on.

The Doctor looks at her with soft eyes. "If you want... I could..." He holds out his hands.

Donna shakes her head. She takes a deep breath and pulls up her sleeve. And it's nothing. It's just circles. The Doctor stares at it, mouth wide-open.

"Doctor?" Donna says slowly. "What does it say? I thought the TARDIS translated everything?"

"Ah, well..." the Doctor meets Donna's eyes. He looks nervous. "Just stay right there. I'll take five steps back, okay?"

And he takes five large steps back. Just how bad was this? Donna bites her lip.

The Doctor sets his shoulders. "That is... my name."

What?

Donna blinks.

No way.

No.

" _What!_ " Donna starts forward and the Doctor stumbles backwards.

"It could be platonic!" And the Doctor rambles on and lands backwards onto the ground. He shuffles up a bit. And Donna stops there.

"Am I really that repulsive?" Donna asks. "Am I just so-"

"No, no, no, never," the Doctor sputters. "Honest, Donna, you're brilliant."

"Then why don't you..." Donna trails off. "I'm, I'm sorry, it's Rose, isn't it?"

"What? No!" The Doctor gets up as gracefully as he can which isn't at all. Donna holds back a giggle. "It's just, we agreed, we're mates, yeah?"

"Yeah." Donna looks down at her rolled-up sleeves then back at the Doctor. "Right, strip."

"What?" The Doctor squeaks. His eyes are absolutely wide and Donna steps forward. He opens his mouth then closes it. Donna takes his coat off.

"Show it."

"Oh! Oh, yes!" The Doctor laughs nervously. "That."

"Come on," Donna says. "I want to see if I'm anywhere on you."

The Doctor makes some sounds that might've formed words but the TARDIS didn't seem to agree.

Donna reaches for the sleeves first but pauses right above it, looking up at the Doctor. The Doctor nods slowly.

"It might be Sarah-Jane," the Doctor says. "She was fantastic, we got on so well but the Time Lords-" he cuts himself off.

"Sarah Jane?" Donna prompts. She pulls up the sleeve.

"I should take you to meet her, you two would love each other." The Doctor's eyes are fixed onto Donna's, he doesn't move to look down. "She sneaked onto the TARDIS, we stuck together since then."

"Hm, I was a bit different," Donna jokes, "I got abducted by a Martian." The Doctor rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

"Not a Martian."

Donna looks down at his arm. There's a few names, the first being _Adric_. It's all names she doesn't recognise.

"It's probably people I've traveled with before." The Doctor closes his eyes. "Every one of them so amazing."

Donna runs a finger over a name. The Doctor stifles a gasp.

"You're going to have to look eventually, Doctor. These will be on you for a while." _If they even come off._ But Donna finds she doesn't mind having Granddad and the Doctor on her. Even if it might be unrequited.

The Doctor nods slowly but still doesn't open his eyes. Donna sighs.

"D'you want me to do the other arm or the chest?"

The Doctor's eyes fly open. Donna looks into his deep brown eyes. And the Doctor nods determinedly. He reaches for his chest and begins unbuttoning his shirt.

Donna watches as the Doctor reaches the last button. "Worried?"

"Yes," the Doctor whispers. And he pulls apart the shirt. Donna would've teased him about being Superman but is too focused on finding the curve of a name.

It's small she almost overlooks it. She steps closer and puts a hand on it. It's right in between the Doctor's two hearts.

"Donna," Donna murmurs. It's in pure English, a beautiful cursive she would never have connected with herself.

The Doctor breaks the silence. "If you want, we could pretend this never happened."

Donna straightens up and meets his eyes. "We're mates, yeah?"

The Doctor smiles but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, best mates."

"Soulmates."

The Doctor searches Donna's face for exactly what it means. And then grins.

"Brilliant."

The Doctor steps closer. He lifts up Donna's chin. "May I?"

"Hm, I don't put out on the first date."

"Good thing this isn't our first." And he leans in. It's much better than anchovies and ginger. And when the Doctor starts to lean back, Donna pulls him back in.


End file.
